Telling the Best Story: Data Richness from Phone Interviews and Online Surveys in Mixed-Method Network Research

• In Event: Aging and the Life Course Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): 14: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Aging

Abstract

The application of mixed methods to study social networks has a long history in sociology, using data collected primarily in-person or on the phone. In recent years, due to technological advances and younger participants’ preferences, network studies have increasingly employed online surveys to collect data. However, there has been relatively little research to assess whether there are differences in the “richness” of the qualitative data collected using interviews versus online survey approaches. In this paper, we use data collected from random subsamples of 81 young adults and 42 midlife adults in the same families as part of the Within-Family Differences Study-3 (WFDS), to systematically compare the quality of data collected via phone interviews versus online surveys, focusing on word count and “subjective data richness.” Findings from both mean difference tests and MLM regression modeling revealed higher word counts in respondents’ discussions of their perceptions of their mothers’ differentiation among their children regarding emotional closeness and conflict. Patterns regarding subjective data richness were more complex. Mean difference tests and MLM regression modeling revealed substantially higher richness scores for men completing phone interviews versus online surveys, whereas there were no differences by mode among women. Gender did not moderate the association between mode and richness regarding conflict. Further, age did not moderate any of these associations. These findings suggest that phone interviews yield higher quality data in terms of word count and richness among men in both young and middle adulthood, particularly when the study involves reporting on sensitive personal issues, such as those that are often the focus of research on interpersonal networks. Given the smaller and less emotionally-rich networks typically reported by men, we propose that researchers should carefully weigh the cost-quality tradeoff of online versus phone interviews when collecting data from samples that include men and women.

Authors

• J. Jill Suitor, Purdue University

• Robert T. Frase, Southern Illinois University

• Ranran He, Purdue University

• Di Wang, Purdue University

• Sunjeong Gyeong, Purdue University

• Tingan Jin

• Taylor Pope, Purdue University

• Destiny Marie Ogle, Purdue University

• Megan Gilligan, University of Missouri

• Shawn Bauldry, Purdue University